Our VAT Snapshot series aims to provide you with information to untangle the complex web of tax obligations created by multi-national trading, helping you stay compliant with the latest tax requirements across Europe. In our first webinar of 2025, we’ll discuss the latest e-invoicing updates in Poland, Estonia, Greece and Portugal.
France is one of the most challenging countries in Europe when it comes to the premium tax treatment of motor insurance policies. This is mainly due to the variety of taxes and charges that can apply and the differing treatment of different vehicle types.
This blog provides all the information you need to know about the correct treatment in France.
As with our dedicated overviews of the taxation of motor insurance policies in Spain, Norway, Italy and Austria, this blog will focus on the specifics in France. We also have a blog covering the taxation of motor insurance policies across Europe.
First and foremost, Insurance Premium Tax (IPT) applies to motor insurance provided in France. The rate can vary (rates correct as of December 2024):
Class 3 motor cover is treated as a form of property coverage within the scope of contributions to the EUR 6.50 Common Fund for Victims of Terrorism when located in France. There is also a requirement to collect a CATNAT premium (with specific rates for motor coverage which are increasing from January 2025). IPT and contributions to the Major Risk Prevention Fund are due on this premium.
Compulsory class 10 cover triggers National Guarantee Fund contributions. This currently results in three separate rates applicable to premiums, set at 1.2%, 0.8% and 0.58%, respectively.
Finally, it is worth noting that class 3 or 10 coverage of vehicles used for agricultural operations may be excluded from the scope of contributions to the Major Risk Prevention Fund. They do, however, result in separate contributions of 11% due to the National Agricultural Risk Management Fund.
The majority of taxes and charges on motor insurance policies in France are calculated as a percentage of the taxable premium and are directly charged to the insured. There are some exceptions, though.
Where applicable, the 0.58% National Guarantee Fund contribution and contributions to the Major Risk Prevention Fund are both insurer-borne so do not result in direct additions to the premiums charged to the insured.
The EUR 6.50 contributions to the Common Fund for Victims of Terrorism are a fixed fee and apply to each insurance contract per annum – regardless of the premium value.
It should also be noted that the IPT treatment of motor insurance can be extended to include ancillary coverage, such as passenger accident cover. This is because the IPT treatment applies to risks of any nature relating to land motor vehicles. It is important to assess each risk to determine whether it is considered a risk related to land motor vehicles as this can be a contentious area in French law.
Electric vehicles are subject to an IPT exemption, albeit this was amended from January 2024 so that 75% of the premium was treated as exempt (with the remaining 25% being taxable as normal).
A 75% exemption applies to insurance incepting in 2024 for vehicles registered in 2024, but only in relation to the first insurance contract following the vehicle’s registration up to a maximum of 24 months. There is no law currently in effect extending this treatment for vehicles registered in 2025, so such vehicles will not benefit from the 75% exemption as it stands.
Coverage of any nature relating to commercial agricultural vehicles and commercial vehicles greater than 3.5 tonnes benefits from a full IPT exemption, except compulsory class 10 coverage. However, this does not provide an exemption from the applicability of the parafiscal charges mentioned above.
If you still have questions about the taxation of motor insurance policies or IPT in France, speak to our experts.
On 5 November, the long-awaited EU Commission’s VAT in the Digital Age (ViDA) proposal was approved by Member States’ Economic and Finance Ministers (ECOFIN). This webinar will examine the three pillars of the ViDA package and how you can prepare for the changes it will bring.
European tax authorities are advancing SAF-T implementation, introducing new requirements that will impact VAT compliance across the region. This webinar will offer insights into key updates, including Portugal’s SAF-T delay to 2026, Ukraine’s on-demand SAF-T for large taxpayers in 2025, Greece’s mandatory transport data fields in myDATA e-books from 1 December 2024, Romania’s SAF-T extension to non-established companies and mandatory e-reporting of B2C invoices from January 2025 and France’s reduced PPF scope and new PDP designation requirement for all companies.
From managing VAT compliance to familiarising yourself with the VAT registration timelines, Alex Smith, Senior Director of Consulting Services will detail the most critical compliance challenges for companies expanding internationally.
Join Steve Sprague, Chief Product & Strategy Officer at Sovos, for an insightful discussion on how SAP customers can navigate the shift toward SAP’s Clean Core and ensure their tax compliance processes are future-ready. As governments worldwide accelerate the move toward digital tax reporting and real-time compliance mandates, businesses face new challenges in staying compliant while managing complex ERP systems.
In Italy, the insurance premium tax (IPT) code (which is being revised as of the date of this blog’s publication) and various other laws and regulations include provisions for taxes/contributions on motor hull and motor liability insurance policies.
This article covers all you need to know about this specific indirect tax in the country.
As with our dedicated overviews of the taxation of motor insurance policies in Spain, Norway and Austria, this blog will focus on the specifics in Italy. We also have a blog covering the taxation of motor insurance policies across Europe.
In Italy, there are four types of charges payable on motor insurance policies:
Whilst motor insurance policies can include various coverages as add-ons, this blog’s main focus is on motor hull and motor liability.
Calculating taxes on land vehicles, i.e., motor hulls (Class 3), is simple. There is only IPT at 12.5% and CONSAP at 1%.
The taxable premium is the basis of these taxes. Both taxes are declared in the annual IPT return and payable monthly.
The taxation of insurance policies against civil liability arising from the circulation of motor vehicles is more complex.
The IPT rate (so called Responsabilità Civile Auto or RCA tax) is determined on a provincial level. Legislative Decree 6 May 2011, No. 68 quotes that the rate of the RCA tax is equal to 12.5%. However, this can be increased or decreased by the province or metropolitan city by a maximum of 3.5%. That is why RCA tax rates are sometimes referred to as a tax with a rate ranging from 9-16%.
In Italy, there are 20 regions, each with one or more autonomous provinces or cities. To complicate matters further, the province or city can modify the tax rates within the tax year.
CONSAP does not apply on motor liability policies, however EMER is at a rate of 10.5% with an additional 2.5% required for RAVF.
RCA and EMER are declared in the annual IPT return, and payments are due monthly.
Although RAVF is also declared annually, the declaration process differs, and there is also a prepayment obligation. The actual amount of RAVF depends on the management fee set annually by the Italian insurance supervisory body (IVASS) – the percentage of which is published during November for the next year.
As previously stated, IPT/RCA regulations are undergoing major renewal (during 2024). The legislation governing the tax provisions on private insurance and life annuities (Law 29 October 1961, No. 1216) is part of the Italian Government`s tax reform initiatives.
According to the available draft legislation, the IPT law will be divided into three parts:
The government extended the deadline for enactment of the new regulation to the end of 2025.
There are not many exemptions available for IPT/RCA tax, nor for CONSAP, EMER and RAVF. However, cars registered in Italy to NATO Allied Force benefit from an exemption from IPT/RCA.
If you still have questions about the taxation of motor insurance policies or IPT in Italy, speak to our experts.
Tax authorities across Eastern Europe continue to move ahead with SAF-T adoption, with upcoming changes impacting VAT compliance requirements for businesses operating in the region.
In this exclusive webinar, you’ll get in-depth insights on:
– Romania’s SAF-T expansion: The tax authorities will expand the scope of businesses impacted by this requirement to non-established companies from January 2025
– Bulgaria’s SAF-T Introduction (2025): Learn about Bulgaria’s planned adoption of the SAF-T framework and what it means for businesses operating in the region
– Poland’s Extended SAF-T Reporting: Discover how Poland is expanding its SAF-T filing requirements and how this may affect VAT compliance and audits
Join our expert, Clementine Mayor, VAT Consultant as she unpacks the latest developments in VAT reporting across Eastern Europe. Don’t miss this opportunity to understand how these changes will shape the future of VAT audits and prepare your business for compliance.
Determining and calculating IPT liabilities in various regions can be challenging.
Sovos IPT Determination is a compliance software designed to streamline Insurance Premium Tax (IPT) calculations and ensure accurate tax reporting.
In this webinar, Ramesh Sudhan, Sovos’ Director of Product and Research & Development, will guide you step-by-step through several typical processes supported by the solution.
Cross-border trade requires navigating complex regulations, customs requirements, and tax laws – with compliance being essential to avoid costly penalties.
Recent mandates in Romania highlight these challenges, emphasising the need for up-to-date knowledge. Businesses trading across the EU must understand country-specific mandates, like VAT obligations and e-invoicing, especially for companies which are VAT-registered in multiple countries.
The Government of the Republic of Slovenia has released a draft proposal to implement mandatory e-invoicing and e-reporting for B2B and B2C transactions. This implementation would mark a significant shift in the country’s e-invoicing landscape.
Should the proposal be approved, taxpayers will be subject to a two-fold obligation: they must issue and exchange B2B invoices electronically and report B2B and B2C transactional data to the tax authority. Although clearance will not be required in the e-invoice issuance process, transactional data must be reported to the tax authority in near real-time, which shows that Slovenia is aligning with the global trend of governments implementing Continuous Transaction Controls (CTC).
Taxpayers under scope are all business entities registered in Slovenia’s Business Register (PRS), including companies, self-employed entities and associations. To register in the PRS, business entities must have a registered office or address in the territory of the Republic of Slovenia.
This new system also introduces a decentralised reporting and exchange model facilitated by registered service providers, called e-route providers. These are similar to the network exchange requirements in France and those planned for Spain.
The proposed mandatory e-invoicing and CTC e-reporting will be introduced from 1 June 2026.
The e-invoicing mandate would require taxpayers to issue, send and receive e-invoices and other e-documents for B2B domestic transactions.
Under the Slovenian proposal, e-invoices refer to an invoice or similar accounting document that records business transactions, regardless of what they are called. This includes credit notes, debit notes, advance invoices, payment requests, etc.
There are multiple supported formats for the exchange of e-invoices:
The proposal allows three methods for e-invoice issuance and exchange:
In cases where the issuer and recipient use e-invoice different standards, if using e-route providers, the recipient’s provider must convert the e-invoice to the syntax accepted by the recipient.
Regarding B2C transactions, consumers will have the option to receive either e-invoices or paper invoices. This must be agreed upon by the parties. If an e-invoice is issued, suppliers will be obliged to provide a visualised content version (e.g., PDF).
The proposal states that taxpayers must electronically report B2B and B2C transactional data, including cross-border transactions, to the Financial Administration of the Republic of Slovenia (FURS) within eight days of invoice issuance or receipt. Reporting must be done exclusively in the e-SLOG standard.
The reporting requirement extends to B2C and cross-border transactions, regardless of whether an invoice was issued electronically. This ensures that transactions such as these, for which e-invoicing is not mandatory, are reported to the FURS allowing it a comprehensive collection of taxpayers’ transactional data.
The selected method for e-invoice exchange will impact the e-reporting of transactional data. If the parties use e-route providers, both the issuer’s and recipient’s providers must send the e-invoice to FURS. For direct exchanges, both parties must separately report their transactions to FURS.
The draft establishes obligations and certain technical requirements applicable to e-route providers. According to the Slovenian government, the requirements to become an e-route provider are comparable to those in France but without the need for certification
However, the public authorities will maintain a list of registered e-route service providers who must fulfil certain requirements, some of which are already listed in the draft law. The proposal does not state explicit local registration/establishment rules for e-route providers. The government will publish further regulations detailing the application process and other applicable requirements.
The government must take certain crucial steps before enforcing the mandate. The Parliament must officially approve the draft law before the requirements are confirmed.
Moreover, publication of the technical specifications and further regulations are awaited, including details of the data reporting methods to the tax authority. Slovenia will need to apply for a derogation from the VAT Directive with the EU Commission to enforce mandatory B2B e-invoicing before the adoption of ViDA (VAT in the Digital Age).
For businesses operating in Slovenia, this will mean impactful changes to their outbound and inbound processes by 1 June 2026. This includes the acquisition of software or update of their systems to issue, send and receive e-invoices, adapting to the allowed e-invoicing formats and connecting to the FURS or availing the services of e-route providers to electronically report their data.
Have questions about how these changes could affect your operations? Ask our team of experts.
As the global e-invoicing landscape continues to shift and develop, our quarterly VAT Snapshot webinar brings you all the details on the key regulatory changes to watch.
Join Dilara Inal and Marta Sowinska from our Regulatory Analysis and Design team for a 30-minute update on the latest developments in e-invoicing regulations across Europe and beyond.
This session will cover:
Ever-changing Insurance Premium Tax (IPT) rules and regulations can be challenging to keep up with, so staying on top of the latest developments in IPT compliance is key.
Join our insightful webinar where Sovos’ IPT experts Edit Buliczka, James Brown and Jake Thorne will deep dive into the intricacies of remaining compliant in Hungary and discussing the current and the potential future impacts of the climate change to the IPT regulations across Europe and beyond.
Remaining current with the latest regulatory revisions in VAT reporting and SAF-T requirements in Poland. This webinar will deliver a comprehensive overview of recent changes to ensure you thoroughly understand the evolving compliance landscape. Gain valuable insights into essential strategies and best practices for preparing for VAT audits, mitigating risks and avoiding penalties.
The EU Directive for VAT has laid the groundwork for a harmonised VAT system throughout the different Member States. However, the implementation of the EU VAT law within the national jurisdictions still creates a disparity between its application and conditions to be met, specifically regarding some of the intra-EU simplifications to be applicable.
Unlock the secrets to fruitful global trade in our latest webinar; our consulting expert Luca Clivati will provide valuable insights and guidance to help businesses maximise operational and financial efficiency when trading globally.
Keeping up with e-invoicing requirements has never been a bigger task, especially if you operate internationally. Join us as we share the latest information necessary to successfully navigate the latest updates to the global e-invoicing landscape. This webinar will cover:
• Expansion of Romania’s e-transport mandate since December 2023
• Development of Spain’s SIF/Verifactu requirement
• Postponements in Portugal
• The legislative process for B2B Public Administration mandatory e-invoicing in Germany and Belgium
• Important dates to be aware of in Poland
• Recent changes to Malaysia’s e-invoicing mandate
• Date changes and key features in Israel
Stay updated on VAT Reporting and SAF-T with Sovos’ webinar. Explore legislative changes, prepare for VAT Recovery deadlines, and gain insights into SAF-T updates for Portugal, Bulgaria and Poland. Understand recovery claims essentials, crucial with the nearing 13th Directive deadline.